Smokeless-powder rod or grain and process of making same.



N0. 753,994. H. MAXIM.

SMOKELESS POWDER ROD OR GRAIN AND PROCESS APPLICATION FILED DEG. 8,1898.

OF MAKING SAME. N0 MODEL. 5 SHEETS-HEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. s, 1904.

No. 758,994. PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

H. MAXIM.

SMOKELESS POWDER ROD OR GRAIN AND PROCESS OFMAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1898. N0 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 3

6' I 7 I v 4 244mm 47 k @IIIII@%QHIHW/ PATENTBD MAR. 8, 1904.

H. MAXIM. R ROD OR GRAIN AND PROOESS OF MAKING SAME.

SMOKELESS POWDB APPLICATION FILED DBO. 8, 1898.

-5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H0 MODEL.

PATENTED MAR. s, 1904.

H. MAXIM: SMOKELBSS POWDER ROD 0R GRAIN AND PIROOESS OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 8, 1898.

N0 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' PATENTED MAR. s, 1904.

H. MAXIM. SMOKMESN POWDER ROD GR GRAIN AND PROGES$ OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 8, 189B 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

N0 l-iODEL.

ATTORNEY no. "Itasca.

Iatented March 8, 1904.

PATENT Grams.

'nunson MAXiM, or New YORK, N. Y;

sickness-Pewter ROD OR GRAIN AND PROCESSOF MAKING SAME.

SPEGIFIGATIUN forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,994, dated March 8, 1904. Application filerl December 8, 1398. Serial Ila-98,601. (No-specimens.)

flame of ignition in the gun in order that the grains may be first ignited within the perforations and the ignition of the external surfaces delayed to such an extent that the grains may be wholly or quite consumed from within the perforations.

The primary object of this invention is to produce grains of smokeless powder for ordnance which shall present the minimum of I combustion area to the flame of ignition and the maximum of combustion area at the instant before the perforations become tangent or intersect with one another from interior combustion, thereby yielding suchprogressive evolvement of gases as to well maintain the pressure behind the projectile in its flight throughout the entire length of the gun. As the initial pressure is in direct proportion to the amount of initial burning-surface presented by the powder grains per unit of weight, it is obvious that much less pressure will be exerted under like conditions of confinement when all the other surfaces of the grain are protected from the flameof ignition except those within the perforations. The advantages of the powder-grains made and protected exteriorly in this manner are that larger charges may be employed and still give lower pressures than otherwise. In throwing aerial torpedoes from .ordnance it is especially t iesirable to employ a powder whichshall give t. low initial pressure and also maintain the pressure substantiallyequal to the muzzle.-

Such ballistic results are best secured by the employment of powder-grains made and exseriorly protected as herein described.

The smokeless-powdermaterial employed preferably that which, with-varying percent ages and-proportions of mixed guncottons or v of guncottons and nitroglycerin, is now generally used in the art andwhich is plastic when containing a suitable solvent and which may by well-known methods be molded into tained solvent is evaporated will be. practically amorphous in character o'rof a colloidal na ture impervious to the flame of its combustion in the gun. I

In carrying out the invention I preferably proceed substantially in the following inanner: A covering material in long thin strips, such as paper or celluloid, is wound upon rolls or spools, and one or a plurality of such spools are so positioned-in an apparatus, as

hereinafter fully described, that a continuous supply of covering material is furnished to, or is passed through, a former, by which the covering material is brought'in contact with the surface of a rodor strip of powdermaterial being passed through the apparatu s, a pressure device squeezing the covering or compressing it uponthe. surface of thepowder material and which is made to adhere tothe surface of the same by previously wettlng the powdersurface with a solvent of it,.such as acetone, whereby it is rendered adhesive, or I may andsometimes any desired shape and which after the condo when employing a colloidal covering material, such as celluloid'or paper impregnated or filled with a colloidal substance, wet with a suitable solvent, such as acetone, one surface of the covering material, whereby by being attacked by the-solvent it is made adhesive and caused to adhere to the surface of the powder material when compressed thereon.

The rods or strips of powder material may be rectangular in cross-section, round or oval, or, when rectangular, with corners rounded, or the strips may be of any desired shape, and either one to several strips, of covering ma.- terial may be applied to a single rod or strip, according to the shape thereof and to the forming apparatus employed, all as hereinafter fully described, explained, and illustrated In applying the covering material the seams are made to overlap, so that the surface is fully protected. The thickness of the covering material employed is preferably such as to protect the surface of the powder against the flame of ignition and of combustion up to a point just before the complete consumption of the grain. but which covering material shall be burned through and the surface of the powder attacked by the flame just prior to the intersections of the perforations with one another and the complete consumption of the grain in order that no unburned covering material may be left to produce dust or smoke or material to foul the gun.

The covering material whichlprefer to employ is celluloid, which will be consumed much less rapidly than the body of powder itself. It is obvious, however, to those skilled in the art that the covering material, although noneXplosive, will be wholly consumed and without smoke by free oxygen or by robbing the carbonic-acid gas present of one molecule of its oxygen with the production of a larger percentage than otherwise in the products of combustion of carbonic oXid.

W'hen employing especially rectangular rods or strips of powder material, all of the lateral surfaces except one may be covered,

thereby closing the mouths of the perforations upon one side and leaving them open upon the other side, and protecting the two other sides, or the mouths of the perforations may be closed upon all sides if the covering material omplgyed is sufficiently fragile over the perforations upon one side, so as to be disrupted under the pressure in the gun, thereby admitting the combustion-flame to the perforations.

The above particulars relate to the covering of powder-grains after they have been perforated, but I. iiiay cover them prior to perforating; in which case they are perforated through the covering material. However, there is a material advantage in thoroughly drying the pen-*der---that is to say, in completel y evaporating the solvent from the same before atlixing the cover in order that the powder rod or grain maybe shrunk to its minimum dimensions in order to prevent any alteration in size or shrinking away from the cover or warping of the cover after its application. Furthermore, there is afreer exitof solvent from the powder that is to say, the po .vder is more readily dried before than after the application of the covering.

It is obvious that any desired form of multiperforation may be employedas, for example, the powder may be stuffed in the usual way, forming round bars longitudinally per forated. 'lhese may be revered and then cut into desired lengths that is to say. of a length whichshall be as long as required, but

which shall not be sidliciently longas to on referable form. however, is the transversel perforated rod or strip.

Withthis 'enerai statement of some of the leading features and advantages of the inven-- tion I have in order to make the same more clearly understood showh in the accompanying drawings means of carrying it into prac tical effect without thereby limitin the irnprovements in their useful applications to the particular construction taken for illustration. herein. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation the improved apparatus. 2 a front end elevation of the same. I Fig. vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fh 2'. Fig. 4: is a vertical cross-sectienon the line el 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar. section on the line 5 5 of Fig; 3. is an end elevation of a modified form of the apparatus, showing the use of only two cover-feed rollers and strips. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the modification shown in Fig. ten the line7 7 thereof. the cover fern'ier and guide ans. the powder on the line it 8,0f Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a tra. verse cross-section of the paper-moistening device employed as'shown in the modification in Fig. 6 and 7. Fig. 10 a side elevation, partly in section, of a modification designed for covering round rods with single stripof material. Fig. 11 is part sectional part end elevation thereof; and Figs. 12. fil and Fig. 8 is a of 14 are sectional views on the lines 12 if 1?; 3,

and 14 14 of Fig. 1. Fig. 15 is a per. View of a rod or grain covered as he. scribed.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5., inclusive, the inn proved apparatus consists, essentially, acover supply and feed devie. A, a dev oeli for compressing the cover-5111i ps upon the powder in such a manner as to re their firm adhesion thereto, and a guide or guidmg the strip or red of powder to be covered.

The cover-feed device may be any suit,

able form that can be adapted to supply eevering material to strips or rods of poii 'der, as required. but in the present modification comprises four rolls 1., each composed of a continuous covering-strip a: and mounted upon a removable spindle 3, supported by a frame .2. The rolls are so disposed around a center along which the strip of powder is pan-ma. t

1, they are substantially at right angles each other, forming pairs, the members of each pair being opposite and on opposite sides of the path of the powder-strip. it will; be understood that in this case the number of rolls and their disposition relative to one another is determinijzd by the like number and disposition of the sides of the powder-strip. If the po\v(.lerstri; has six sides, there may be x rolls, the peripheral surface ofeach of which ITO ' teases is preferably parallel with that side of the powder-strip which is to be covered by material supplied from the covering-roll.

The guide C for directing the powder 1 to the cover-compressing device consists of a metallic tube of such shape in cross-section as to approximately fit the powder-strip. It is secured to the frame immediately between the cover-feed rollers and hasa portion a of its forward part open to allow the powder-strip to be entered easily and conveniently.

The apparatus is also provided with a moistening device D, which is supported by the guide 0, and in this instance moistens with acetone the surface of the powder-strip as it emerges from the guide-tube and before it enters the cover-compressor. Obviously any other suitable solvent or partial solvent of the material of which the powder is made or that of which the cover is composed m y be employed. The moistening'device is composed of an annular channel or manifold 5, inclosed in a ring 6, which surrounds the path of the powder-strip and is connected by a pipe '7, controlled by a stop-cbcle8,with any suitable reservoir 9 or supply of the solvent needed. The ring also consists on its inner side of an open recess or channel 10 in communication with the manifold and receiving a suitable absorbent substance 28-such as, for instance, felt, wool, cotton, or other suitable fibrous material which bears firmly against the surfaces of the powder as it emerges from the guide-tube.

The cover-compressing device B, consists of a' number of rolls 11' 12, arranged on all sides of the rod of powder and carrying four endless belts 22, which are preferably of some elastic material, such as rubber, and each of which travels over the said rolls in contact on one side with the powder-cover c0 and in the direction of the movement of the powdenstrip. Each belt is carried mainly by two end rollers 11, which are of comparatively large diameter'and are mounted upon spindles 13 in the frame 1%. Between the larger rollers a number of smaller rollers 12 are mounted on the frame and in a position to firmly press upon the back of each belt as it travels along with the strip of powder. The four larger rolls carrying the belts at each end of the compresser device are caused to revolve by a number of intermeshing miter-gears 15, mounted, respectively, one on each side of each roller 11 and. meshing ;,with each other transversely around the path of the powder-strip. In Fig. i there is shown a roller 11, divided in two parts transversely with respect to its center, each part being hollow and constructed integrally with themitergear 15. The two parts are secured together by tongues or mortises l6 and recesses on the inner face of their inside hubs 17. With this construction the spindles 13 need not revoive,

as the whole system of miter-gears and rollers powder-strip,

is operated without the use of shafts or -spindles. In order to operate each system of miter-gears and rollers at each end of the frame it, in which they are mounted, one spindle is secured to a miter-gear or half-roller by-means" of a key 18 or' othersuitable device and is extended out of the frame to carry, a gear 19,

which meshes with a gear 20 of a similar size,

mounted between. the two similar gears on each end of the compressing device. On one spindle there is also provided a pulley 21, so that all the belts and rollers 11 may be revolved by means of power applied thereto from any suitable source.

The powder-covering strips are taken, re-' spectively, from each roll and passed between the elastic belts and the adhesive moistened surfaces of the powder-strip, so that in their passage through the cover compressing device they are firmly compressed and made to adhere to the powder-strips. As thestrips of powder are passed from between the compressing-belts 22 the successive strips are separated by a pair of shears or other suitable device.

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, thecompressing device issimilar to that before described; but the cover-feed device consists in this instance of but two rolls 1, feeding two covering-strips v as, each of which are caused to cover two adjacent sides of the strip of powder. This is accomplished by mounting each roller with its peripheral surfage opposite an edge of the forty-five degrees with the sides of the powder strip. The rollers are mounted, as heretofore,on a frame 2 opposite each other, and the covering-strip is fed from each roll to two therefore at an angle of small guide-rollers 23, having'their axes parallel with the axes of the paper-rollers, but in close proximity to the edge of the powder strip, so that the cover-strip may pass between them and along the powder edge under a former 24:, which longitudinally divides the paper into two parts and guides each part over the adjacent side of the powder-strip, the strip from one roller covering the two surfaces of," the strip of powder, which-suriiaces terminate at the edge of which the roller is opposite. The powder, with its cover, then passes to and through the compressing device B, as before described. In this modification the strip of powder is not moistened with the solvent quickly, but instead a device is provided attached to the frame for moistening the surface of each roll'l' of covering material as it revolvesin supplying to the powder.

ing device consists of a cylinder 25, having a longitudinal slot in which is forced between two supportin is plates 27 a quantity or a strip 28 ct ich bears firmly against the periphery cover-roll, The

the covering-strip in this instance the molstencylinder is supplied with a solvent through, the opening 29 and may be adjusted radially to the roll through a slot 30 as the coveringstrip-is used.

Referring to Figs. 10 to 14, inclusive, the modification shown therein consists in a device for covering a circular rod of powder 3/ .with one covering-strip m from the feed-roll preferably consists in this instance of the belts 34:, each having a longitudinal semicircular groove on their outer surface which conforms to the rod of powder as it passes through the compressor. The belts travel over the rolls 33, attached to the spindles 3:2 in the frame 14:, and are caused to revolve at equal speeds by the intermeshing gears 35. The moistening device D in this modification consists of a cylinder 25, having absorbent material 28, sup- .ported by the side plates 27 in the slot 26 of the cylinder. As the covering-strip is stripped from the roll and its diameter decreased the cylinder is caused to travel toward its center in a guide 36 by means of a spring 37;

.In Fig. .15 the powder rod or grain y is shown with the perforations y covered with the combustible covering w, aswill be clearly understood from the foregoing description.

1 What is claimed is 1. In the manufacture of smokeless powder, the process herein described, which consistsin molding smokeless-powder material into rods or strips while in a plastic state, due to a contained solvent, then evaporating the solvent to shrink and harden the materiah'and then applying a solvent to the surface of the rods orstrips to render them adhesive, and then aifixing a covering to the adhesive surfacasubr stantially as described.

2. Theherein-described process of manuor strips adhesive-by application of a solvent v.

to the surface thereof and. then applying a covering to the rods or strips.

3. In the manufacture of smokeless'powder, I

the herein-described process, which consists in molding the powder material into rods or strips, and then multiperforating the same, then drying, and then aflixing a combustible non-explosive covering to the surface of the powder-body, and over the mouths of the perforations. I

4;. The herein described multiperfora ted powder-grain having a combustible covering over its perforations adapted to be ruptured by the pressure of the powder gases in the gun, said covering being secured to the grain without the interposition of cement.

5. The herein-described multiperforated powder-grain, having the openings'of its perforations covered with a material adapted to be ruptured by the pressure of the powdergases in the gun. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

v Henson ML" Witnesses:

G. -A. L. MAssIE, ELISHA K. CAMP. 

